When False Rhetoric Sticks: How Do We Flip The Common Presumption Of Faith Vs. Science.

As a priest with an assignment of diverse ministries (parish, primary school, jail ministry, and university students), there are ample opportunities to receive and address questions about faith and science from multiple perspectives. What I find fascinating is that, regardless of what ministerial environment the questions are posed, there is a common narrative that often emerges: Faith is against science.

Much can be said about how this presumption has come to be the norm. Often times, I find that much of the fuel that feeds this fire doesn't come from scientists, new atheists, or secular politics. Rather, I find that it is the poor understanding and presentation of biblical creation in a hyper-literalist manner combined with a history of scandals in the Church that has flipped the opinion of many to view Catholicism not as the vessel that pursues truth to a fallen institution that is riddled with scandal and corruption, lacking the needed transparency to foster trust in the faithful.

For those who love the Church, both lay person and clergy, there can be an inner frustration of feeling a deep need to defend the Church while at the same time feeling helpless to address the legitimate criticism levied against the Church. This tension reminds me of a simple distinction I use is spiritual direction of identifying the difference between our Sphere in of Concern and our Sphere of Influence.

The Sphere of Concern constitutes those things that can trouble us on a personal level, but are realities we have little to no ability to impact on a personal level. This sphere can be as intimate as our concerns for a dear friend in crisis to global realities like the mounting tensions between nuclear powers. The danger of only living in the Sphere of Concern is that it can lead to discouragement, thinking that we really can't do anything to change our world, so why bother?

To snap us out of the melancholic heart that presumes we can't change the world is to embrace the truth that there is a sphere in which we do have direct impact to bring about good we can call our Sphere of Influence.

For example, when I was in seminary I expressed to one of my professors that I was frustrated that the first time I really learned about what the Church taught about human dignity was in seminary. When I was ordained, this professor sought me out, reminded me of this frustration, and simply stated, "As a priest, make sure your parishioners learn what you wished you would have learned in your youth." Even though I affirm that, as a priest, my Sphere of Influence has broadened, there is another lesson I am learning that this influence also needs to be met by a heart receptive to this truth. As time goes by, I often wonder if I actually did receive the Church's vision of human dignity in my youth, but, for whatever reason, my heart was still shut off to receive this truth?

With this distinction in mind, the first lesson I have learned is that the best way to reclaim the truth about the authentic relationship between faith and science is to avoid lingering in the Sphere of Concern that becomes an endless hamster wheel of negativity. Rather, I try to focus primarily on the Sphere of Influence God has blessed me with as a Catholic Priest and an author for The Catholic Astronomer. In light of this, I feel a need to ask you a simple question: What is your Sphere of Influence to bring good into this world?

Applying this ministerial philosophy has led to a basic starting point when addressing questions of faith and science: Simple is better. For example, last week I was invited to visit our Freshman religious education class where many questions had to do with faith and science. It was a beautiful moment when I simply asked the students, "What's the difference between a scientific question and a faith question?" After overcoming the initial fear of many Freshman to answer a question from their pastor, the discussion led to a healthy starting point: Scientific questions lead to truth about the material world that is tentative, meaning that it may change or be disproved in the future, while faith focuses on questions of meaning, purpose, ultimate beginnings, and ultimate ends in a way that science does not address.

We were able to realize that faith and science ask different kinds of questions to discover different kinds of truth. It reminded me of the writings of the Benedictine priest, Fr. Stanley Jaki. Here is a video I did for the Vatican Observatory Foundation explaining his insight into the relationship between faith and science.

This first lesson leads to a second, equally powerful lesson: There is no better way to demonstrate the true relationship between faith and science than to learn about real people who embody this relationship. Everyone knows about Galileo. Many know about Bruno. Most people presume that these two figures embody the relationship between faith and science (even though of the list of things Bruno was condemned for, his view of the sun centered universe was not one of them).

What saddens me are the many positive stories about faith and science many people don't know, but should be common knowledge. For example, Laura Bassi (1711-1778) was a Catholic laywoman who was the second woman in Europe to receive a Doctorate in the emerging sciences of the day and was the first woman to become what we would call today a professor at the University of Bologna. This breaking of a historical glass ceiling was made possible by the patronage of a Catholic Cardinal who later become Pope Benedict XIV. It is important to remember that these events took place after Galileo was accused of grave suspicion of heresy. Bassi was never condemned for her involvement in science as a Catholic laywoman, but eventually was invited to be a part of the Pope's inner intellectual elite that he brought together to promote the emerging science of the day in Bologna.

Laura Bassi - Image Credit: Wikipedia

Another story that should be common to all people who study science is the "Father" of the Big Bang Theory. I still find it astounding that many well educated Catholic adults and youth are shocked to discover that what we call The Big Bang Theory doesn't find its origins in Einstein or Edwin Hubble, but a Diocesan Priest by the name of Monsignor Georges Lemaitre. Equally confusing and ironic is the presumption that somehow the Big Bang Theory is in opposition with biblical creation. Lemaitre's idea of a "cosmic egg" was first met with resistance. The resistance was rooted in the fact that many presumed a priest-scientist promoting a theory of the universe beginning from an infinitely small, infinitely dense point seemed a bit too close to the book of Genesis. This, and other concerns, led some scientists to question Lemaitre's theory, mocking him by called his idea "Lemaitre's Big Bang Theory." Needless to say, history vindicated his theory. Here is another video I did for the VOF on Lemaitre.

The list of significant Catholics who have made major contributions to science is long and could be turned into multiple volumes. Whether it be the father of modern genetics, Fr. Gregor Mendel, the Catholic layman whose name identifies one of the more troubling mental illnesses of our time, Alois Alzheimer, or Roger Bacon who is often credited as the forerunner of the modern scientific method, the list of Catholic scientists, both layperson and clergy, is long and provides one of the strongest examples of the true relationship of faith and science.

Last, but definitely not least, we need to remember that the very reason this blog exists is because of the Vatican Observatory, the continuing symbol established by Pope Leo XIII to demonstrate that Catholicism supports true science.

Spiritual Exercise: What is the Sphere of Influence God has blessed you with to support the true vision of faith and science? Pray with this question and ask God to open doors for you to help promote faith and science as dialogue partners in truth instead of the common myth that they are and must be sworn adversaries.

Happy Monday!

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Fr. James Kurzynski is a priest of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin and a hobby astronomer. Originally from the small town of Amherst in rural central Wisconsin, Fr. James completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, majoring in Applied Music (Saxophone, Voice, and Composition). After graduating from UW-SP, Fr. James worked at the University of Nebraska at Kearney as a Hall Director and pursued a M.S.ed. in Group Counseling. After a year at UNK, Fr. James left his position to attend the University of Saint Mary of the Lake - Mundelein Seminary to discern his priestly vocation.
Fr. James earned a Bachelor in Sacred Theology, a Master of Divinity, and a License in Sacred Theology. While pursuing these degrees, Fr. James also studied Spiritual Theology with the Institute of Priestly Formation at Creighton University and completed the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Fr. James was ordained a priest June 28, 2003. Fr. James’ first assignment was as an Associate at the Tri-Parishes of St. Mary’s - Durand, Holy Rosary Parish - Lima, and Sacred Heart Parish - Mondovi. After two years, Fr. James was assigned as Chaplain and Instructor of Religion at Regis Middle and High School and was also assigned Associate Vocation Director. In his final year at Regis, Fr. James was also appointed Parochial Administrator of Saint Raymond of Penafort Catholic Church, serving south east Eau Claire County. From 2012-2015, Fr. James served as Pastor of Roncalli Newman Parish, serving the college students of Western Technical College and the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. In 2015, Fr. James was named Pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in Menomonie, Wisconsin, which also serves St. Joseph's Grade School (3K thru 6) and the Newman Center at the University of Wisconsin - Stout. In 2017, in addition to his responsibilities to St. Joseph Parish and StoutCatholic, Fr. James was also named Pastor of St. Luke Parish in Boyceville, Wisconsin. In July of 2018, Fr. James was named the Pastor of St. Olaf Parish in Eau Claire. Wisconsin. Fr. James also teaches Introduction to Philosophy for the Diocese of La Crosse’s diaconal formation program.
In regard to his interest in astronomy, Fr. James is a member of both the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society and the La Crosse Area Astronomical Society. He taught an Introduction to Astronomy course during his time at Regis High School in Eau Claire. Fr. James' first involvement with the Vatican Observatory came when an inquiry led to the development of the first "Faith and Astronomy Workshop" (FAW), designed for parish educators and clergy that are not professional scientists.

Comments

When False Rhetoric Sticks: How Do We Flip The Common Presumption Of Faith Vs. Science. — 3 Comments

When speaking of the relationship of science and faith, I like to use the analogy of the right and left wheels on a cart. Lose either one and you’ll rapidly end up in a ditch. Religion without science risks being mere superstition. Science without religion can all too easily lead to Auschwitz, Hiroshima, and the Gulag. We desperately need both to get anywhere.

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Fr. James Kurzynski November 12, 2018 at 2:37 pm on Apathy and Ethos: Exploring Creative Ways To Promote Care For Creation.There, I think that nuance gets closer to the point. Still, read Chris's piece, it's very good. After that, you can read my response to Chris: "Kurzynski Country's Response to the Graney Data." https://www.vofoundation.org/blog/kurzynski-lands-response-graney-data/

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